BIG NEWS

We have been (unofficially) matched.  We say unofficially because our home study is not in our agency's hands yet and we can't say 100% these are our kiddos until it is in their hands.

But nevertheless, our agency has given us permission to share the news here on our blog!

So here goes:

Felix is a seven year old boy, with a BIG smile and a sweet spirit.

Betty is his sweet chubby cheeked four year old sister who is pouting or sad in literally every picture we have of her.

We can't show pictures here on our blog, though we wish we could show you their sweet faces so you could treasure this moment more fully with us.

  We are overwhelmed with love and anticipation for these children to join our family.  


Already it seems the Lord has been orchestrating perfectly every detail of this match.  Even in some fun little ways.

 My favorite Ugandan adoption Blog, literally the only one of all the sweet blogs I have found in this process that I follow weekly.(I just don't have much free time, I can't read them all.)

Unknown by me all this last year, this Blog just so happens to be a mama who adopted from the very same children's home as us, through our SAME agency.

A few weeks ago I was given her contact info by my agency, because she also has a large family and adopted her 6th child....

Anyway, as we were talking, I discovered not only was her blog the blog I had been following for over a year, but she HAD PICTURES of our kiddos on her fridge that her family had been praying over for a year.  Praying For our Betty and Felix to find a loving family.

Goosebumps!

Totally awesome how Our God sets up these little appointments so that as we walk through the doors he opens for us, we receive confirmation and strength.  It boosts our faith.  And we need that.

Because I am SO LIKE Peter.
 Even as I speak of His faithfulness, it is easy for me to look at the waves.
        And start to sink.

Felix is about a year older than we had originally agreed upon.  There is some fear there.

It took us a few weeks after we received their info, as much as we wanted to jump out of the boat and try, we were scared. We prayed, we pondered. We waited.

Then Mike, my wise husband said,
        "Babe, God led us to our agency, We have prayed for a brother and sister pair for over a YEAR.  This is the brother and sister our agency has for us.  Maybe we should just walk through the open door."

Peace flooded our minds.

The amazing confirmation followed from our bloggy friend/agency buddy.
She even had more pictures of our kids for us.

But just like Peter we look at the waves.  A hundred times in a day, I am tempted to doubt.

Maybe that was a random coincidence that she had been praying for our kids?  

Faith reminded me: There are 3 homes in Uganda our agency works with.  Her child could have been from a different one.

Maybe we won't be able to come up with the money, maybe we wont be able to get all the travel logistics figured out. 

      Um, Christa, God has perfectly provided thus far. He is ABLE. We aren't.

Maybe I won't be able to handle seven children.  (That's true by the way, I CAN"T, but Christ through me can!)

Mike and I were talking about feelings and how when we lead with them our faith is SO wobbly.
our Pastor (who we love) always talks about a train with three cars:

 FAITH- FACTS- FEELINGS-
 (Our faith, you know, The Faith God graciously gives to us rests in the facts of His Perfect Word,
and our feelings can and should follow these.)

Don't you Just Love the Story of Peter and Jesus Walking on water?
I Think we love it because we so relate to Peter.

I mean, HE GOT OUT of the boat.  Give the guy a break.  He was at least attempting to have faith! 

Here's the story: Matthew 14:22-33

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way[a] from the land,[b] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind,[c] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out,“Lord, save me.”

 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Isn't that JUST like Jesus. He let Peter take the step of faith, then he let him feel his own inability to accomplish the feat of walking on the water, and then HE RESCUED him.  And he did all the work.  And Peter got to witness the power of a GREAT and powerful God! 

So here's the other part:
Our agency wants to shoot for a JULY travel Date!

That is really fast. 

If July doesn't happen (it depends upon a lot of things: money, paperwork, the Ugandan Judge giving us a July court date)

They want to plan on September. Even that is really fast.

The looking at the waves thing is starting again!

We want to bring them home as fast as possible.

But what if......

but God.

Stay tuned for some serious fund raising excitement!

When my children bring me weeds.....

Have your children ever brought you weeds? 

you know like the ones below:

Did they come to you with sweet little smiling faces and their hands behind their back, showing the excitement they feel at the VERY idea of blessing their mama with a little present.......

 Maybe like this:

 Or like this.... (as a side note she dressed herself that day!)

If you are at all like me, you may be tempted when they do this to say thank you and then put them in the trash, or worse say something like, "Honey, take those stinky weeds outside, they are going to give me an allergy attack."

For some reason this day, I had the rare and wonderful experience of seeing my daughter's gift with more gentle eyes.

 More Christ-like eyes.

I am not a perfect mother.  Most of the time I am not even sure that I am a very good mother.  So dont get me wrong.  I am not gloating,

It was a privilege. For me. I said, "Thank you!" I put them in a vase. I set them on the counter.

My older three watched and very soon I had more floral yet weedy gifts brought to me.
 In that same, 'I'm bringing you a treasure, mommy!' exited way.
Beaming faces.
Joy.
Grace.

I sat there and really thought about those flowers/weeds.  I thought of my Abba Father.  I thought of my worship, my meager offerings to him., my service,or better said, my attempts at serving in His name. My prayers, my meager efforts at devotion.

HE NEVER THROWS AWAY MY FLOWERS.  HE ALWAYS TAKES MY OFFERING WHATEVER IT IS, HOWEVER PITIFUL. HE PUTS IT IN A VASE, IF YOU WILL. 

HE REJOICES OVER ME. 

Zephaniah 3:17b "...He will rejoice over you with gladness, he will quiet you with his love, he will exult over you with LOUD singing."

What a Father.  What grace.  He takes my weeds and puts them in a vase.  He takes my trash and makes treasures, he takes my ashes and makes beauty. He takes my meager efforts to serve him and through them ACCOMPLISHES his plans.  He uses these earthen vessels.

We should be humbled, blown away.  Our God could have chosen another method to proclaim salvation, to rescue the weak, to defend the Fatherless, to teach and make disciples.  Yet He uses us.  

Just like my kids smiling faces that day, when we serve our King, we are blessed. Yes, sometimes we are stretched.  Sometimes we are pressed, squeezed, tried in the process. But when its all said and done, we are always blessed.  Our King uses us to bring forth his kingdom here on earth. We bring our weeds. He does all the real work. And we are blown away by his goodness.

By the end of all that thinking, I decided, at the very least, I am gonna try to NEVER throw away the weeds again,  (I mean, until they rot in the vase!)

Why would I?
I can have beaming faces!
Joy!
Grace!

Planting before the rain.....

I stole this blog title from a wise friend.
         Last weekend, we bought a van.  A 15 passenger van to be exact.

Here it is in real life. My new car.  How I will actually drive it remains to be seen,  I used to have a suburban, which I loved to drive. 

I was blessed with a practically new minivan a few years ago and have loved it.  

To tell the truth, I am not a picky driver, I will pretty much drive whatever car my husband graciously provides for me.

And, said husband reassures me that I will one day be capable of parking it less than a mile back in the parking lot!  For now, we will be getting our exercise as I learn to park our new transportation treasure.

               Anyway, I texted my friend Heather a picture of the van right after we bought it. 

                        And that's what she texted back.  

                       Planting before the rain....... I was so blessed by the truth of it.

See this van is planting before the rain. 

It is the evidence of things hoped for, this van, as silly as it may sound,

               Is faith in action. 

 For my husband, especially, who does the majority of the car buying... (not that we do much car buying) But for him, to take money that the Lord has blessed us with, and buy this HUGE van. Is FAITH. 

See, we are hoping for more kids than we currently have.  

          The ones we have fit perfectly in that nice little mini van.  

But my husband is a man of faith.  And like Abraham, another man of faith, my husband is moving out.  He is moving out, not always 100% sure of where he is going, but yet with a sureness, direction and certainty that he never experienced while wandering this life with NO faith.

Hebrews 11:8 "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance.  And he went out, not knowing where he was going."

One of the questions our agency asked us was, "How will you transport 7 children?" Good question. 

 We knew we needed a bigger car to have an even bigger family. 

Well we are proud to announce the arrival of that car!  God Provides.  He makes a way.  Kids are coming.  From Uganda.  Soon. Very soon.  We are hopeful. We are sure.  We are full of faith!

          Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."